The Second Life of Jim B |
| The PitStop is Jim's employer's intranet newsletter. |
| As senior systems analyst for ER, Jim designs and develops software
applications to meet the business requirements of professional underwriters. As lyricist,
bass guitarist, and vocalist for 7July, Jim crafts rhythmic riffs and kicks out tunes to
meet the cultural requirements of moshing alternative rock groupies. Pit News
wanted to know if there's really much difference between these activities, so we recently
cornered Jim and interrogated him. Pit Stop:You're a techie who works for an insurance company and plays in an alternative rock band. Is this a good balance? Jim: Who needs balance? Confusion is good. It keeps things interesting. Pit Stop: How old were you when you first knew you wanted to play in a band? Jim: Ever since the third grade, when my teacher sent me into the hallway for banging on my desk. Soon after that, I joined the school band as a drummer. Pit Stop: What's your favorite rock band? Jim: As a teenager it was Motley Crue (still one of my favorites!). Right now it's Alice in Chains. Their vocals have great harmonies. Pit Stop: 7July's songs seem to deal with love, spouse abuse, suicide, and detergent. One critic wrote that your music "is about the songwriter's inability to live up to expectations." Since you write most of the lyrics for the group, what's your response? Jim: I think the critic was talking about the song "Pedestal," the title track for our CD. The song is about being told that you're the best when you don't really feel that way. Everyone leads two lives-their professional life and their personal life. In that sense, the song describes me, and the critic was accurate. Generally speaking, I write songs that are simple, not really sophisticated. I struggle with poppy, happy songs. I write about the people around me and their lives, their tough times. Pit Stop: In the song "Arty's Confession," what does Arty confess? Jim: A girl and I practically grew up together. We were best friends, but after school we grew apart. Then I ran into this guy named Arty who mentioned her. And he told me that I didn't know her at all. He destroyed my perception of her. Pit Stop: What songwriter do you most admire? Jim: I'd have to say Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots. His songs are very abstract. They leave things open, and they can be confusing, but they're thought-provoking. Pit Stop: What brought you to ER? Jim: I first came to ER as a consultant, and I saw some guys playing nerf basketball in the hall. No one was wearing a tie. Those kinds of things, and the technological opportunities I saw, drew me here. Pit Stop: You have a brother, Carl, who also plays for 7July. Are there any other similarities to the Beach Boys? Jim: I don't think so. |